A group of some 200 foreign guests appealed for peace all over
the world at an exhibition featuring the notorious Nanjing Massacre
held in Beijing Monday evening.
The foreign visitors were diplomatic envoys, experts,
journalists, and business staffs working in Beijing.
They came from 34 countries including the US, the UK, Germany,
Russia, Japan and Brazil.
"It's terrible!" "Inhumane!" "Appalling!" These words were
frequently spoken out when the visitors were asked to comment on
the exhibition at China's National Museum in downtown Beijing.
Invading Japanese troops occupied Nanjing on December 13, 1937,
and launched a six-week long massacre.
Historical records show that more than 300,000 Chinese people,
not only disarmed soldiers but also civilians, were slain in the
holocaust.
On display are more than 600 photos and more than 700 documents
and materials, or the evidence of the Nanjing Massacre.
"What a shame!" said Adrian Geiges, a correspondent of
Der Stern, a German weekly.
Nasri Abdul Latif, second secretary at the Bruneian Embassy in
Beijing, said he had read many books regarding the Nanjing Massacre
before.
"But seeing the exhibits is different from reading books. These
photos give me a vivid picture of what actually happened during
that period of time. It's inhumane," he said.
"War should be avoided, at any cost," he added.
Christina Waraschitz, an Austrian expert at the China Radio
International, said she was so astonished at the death toll, tears,
pains, and tragedy in the massacre that she did not how to express
her feelings.
"We must try our best to make such things never happen again,"
she said.
Catalina Nicolae, cultural counselor at the Romanian Embassy in
Beijing, said war is the cruelest thing in the world.
"We should always keep in mind that peace is the most precious
asset of humanity. We must educate the young generations in the
profound respect of human dignity and friendship among all
nations," she said.
Zhu Chengshan, curator of the Memorial Hall of the Victims in
the Nanjing Massacre and organizer of the exhibition, said the aim
for holding the exhibition is to let more people, especially the
younger generations in China and foreign friends, to have a
comprehensive and objective understanding of the Nanjing
Massacre.
"In fact, the Nanjing Massacre is not just an issue between
China and Japan, it is also the most shameful page in the world
history," he said.
"We hope the whole world could have a correct understanding of
the Nanjing Massacre. We must avoid such historic tragedy to happen
again," he added.
(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2005)